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Getting Real For Finch Wonder Woman

"What To Expect When You're Not Expecting Much"
With the looming nature of the Finch run on Wonder Woman, I think it’s time to really get down to the nit and gritty of the situation. What could happen, what might happen, and how likely that all is. In effect the goal is to wipe away the pessimistic and the maybe too optimistic, since this is a run that may last a long time for just a few months.  

Justice League Wonder Woman

  To get this particular aspect out of the way, Meredith Finch is being set up to fail. Like it or not, Azzarello and Chiang’s run has become popular. It’s even being denoted as some of Wonder Woman’s best writing in ages. Some disagree, but that’s how much of the reader base perceives it. All of this is being handed down to a writer with little to no experience. Only a couple of short Zenoscope issues under her belt.   It’s going from regular sized fish to small fish in a big pool. It is sink or swim, and without anything to cut her teeth on, DC Comics wise, there’s only one way out of this. That way being that she somehow comes out and rocks everyone with amazing, and perhaps supernaturally fueled, Wonder Woman writing. I mean, the expectations and demands of fanbases can get incredibly high. Realistically, that’s not what is going to happen.  

Swamp Thing Finch

  I've read Meredith Finch’s Zenoscope output, in particular the Cowardly Lion issue of Zenoscope’s Grimm Fairy Tales/Oz line. Suffice it to say, it was inoffensive. Inoffensive in the way that Marguerite Bennett’s Lois Lane one-shot was inoffensive. Finch isn't a bad writer, at least not as bad as people may make her out to be, just inexperienced and falls back too much on cliches and bland narrative paths.   The best that should be expected in terms of writing is something boring, unless the next aspect doesn't get in the way too hard. That aspect being Meredith’s own husband, David Finch. Finch as an artist has had only maybe two good outings in recent memory: Johns’ JLA and Forever Evil. Both of which were not overall great. They had some good points but a lot of flaws that overwhelm in places.  

Swamp Thing Wonder Woman

  Perhaps the biggest drawback is not his art but the help that Meredith Finch has gone on to say he is providing. While I think that it is a swell idea that Meredith Finch is getting aid on the background noise of the DC Universe, writers like Tom Taylor could have used some of that for Earth 2, Finch putting his foot in his mouth in interviews doesn't bode well. The preview pages that have circulated don’t inspire much confidence either.   While textless, and that only counting much if Meredith can swing it, the pages depict the Wonder Woman seen in places like Justice League. Quick to act and brash. Not mention that they even show her, somewhat incidentally humorously, drop kicking Swamp Thing in the face. Overall what I meant to get out there is that, this is going to be very likely not a pleasant run, at best boring and inoffensive. It’s best to get that out there lest it boil over. Finch Wonder Woman drops with Wonder Woman #36, this November.

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